[IC] Goblins of the Wilds

[Dark Cloud]

@Zillanilla@Aristocles

Twig nodded appreciatively as he fidgeted with the wolfhide mantle he wore "One last thing," he said to the chief "I am friend to wolves and I am bonded to a wolf whom follows me," Twig explained then pointed towards the woods "As he protects me so shall the wolf protect your people," Twig paused pushing hair out of his eyes "I just want your blessing to allow him within the village and to reassure you he will not cause trouble unless trouble finds me or him!" Twig assured the chief.

"I also have had your shaman's blessing to teach Vox the druidic ways" he said addressing Vox and the chief "This one needs to understand my bond with my companion and I worry about where he has gone" Twig told the chief that it was an important for new apprentices to learn of bond.

[Aristocles]

@Blackmist16

The chief took a moment to think about it. "Alright, you may keep your wolf- one wolf- within the walls. If he hurts anyone, you'll have to answer to me. Please don't abuse my generosity. I only do this with the knowledge that you can keep the wolf under control with magic. Now, is there anything else?"

There was a long pause, broken only by Breden shaking his head.

"Then you'd best all be on your way. I have some matters to attend to in the fields. We've got to get the harvest in before the snow falls, and yes, the shaman has said there will be snow this year."

Breden began to walk in the direction of Siwa's hut. "Well, you heard the chief. You can keep the wolf in our village. Now, if you want to go to Siwa, follow me. Just a warning; she's rather temperamental now that she's so close to giving birth."

[Dark Cloud]

@Aristocles@Zillanilla

As Twig walked alongside Breden with Vox in tow, Twig laughed in reaction to Breden's comment "I wouldn't expect a birthing badger to be calm so you needn't worry about me!" he said understanding that a mother giving birth is an dangerous one.

As they walked towards Siwa's hut, Twig shut his eyes and whispered an incantation "Muul" his eyes flashed then in the distance a howl faintly echoed within the woods. His call reached Greslarch and soon the wolf would reach him. His incantation was only the simple most spell tying a druid to an animal.

It had probably taken the Breden and Vox by surprise so he cleared his throat and tapped the hilt of the ornate sickle hanging off his hip "Don't panic," the young druid waved a hand vacantly to the both of them "I just called my wolf" Twig explained casually as if he had just done something completely normal and proceeded walking towards Siwa's hut.

[Aristocles]

@Blackmist16

"Badger? Never mind." Breden considered his odd statement to be a druid thing. He would have asked more about it when he heard the howl.

"You'd best keep that wolf away from Siwa's hut. She's already very agitated, nervous, and probably worried. Bringing a large predator around her hut will only upset her more."

They reached Siwa's hut about five minutes later. Breden knocked lightly on the outer wall. He heard her moaning as the sound reverberated through her room.

"Ugh... who is it?!"

"It's me! I've got some friends with me! Can I come in?"

"Alright, but only if you help me out! And don't stay too long! I'm expecting any hour now!"

"Any h-hour?! You're in labor?!"

"Oh, grow up, Brey! We're not humans, and it's not like it will take me more than an hour to give birth! I'll want to be alone for that! Well, come in!"

Somewhat unnerved, Breden pulled back the cloth which covered the door to her hut and he stepped inside.

[Dark Cloud]

@Aristocles

As Breden disappeared within the hut Twig hesitated, his eyes surveyed the woods. With a word he uttered "Slow your pace brother," using his bond to send his words to Greslarch through their empathic link "I will see you soon" Twig mumbled quietly pulling the cloth entrance open and stepped inside not far behind Breden.

It was warm inside the hut an Twig heard faint moaning, grunting Twig turned gazing at Breden "So..." shifting his feet Twig paused awkwardly "You said it was your friends litter or..." Twig nervously figeted with his cloak as his voice trailed.

[Aristocles]

Siwa lay on the pile of straw she used for a bed. She also had a mat, but it was too small for her and the eight or so infants she was about to share the bed with, and she couldn't risk fouling her only mat right now. Much of her body was swollen up; in addition to the obvious parts, her feet were almost half again their normal size.

"Thanks the gods someone's here to help. Not with the birth, but with everything else." Breden looked around. She had brought some water in a pot and some rags, along with several tiny loincloths.

"Right. What do you need help with first? Can my friends lend a hand?"

Siwa nodded and looked at Twig and Vox. "You two, please take off those shirts and- whatever else you have on besides your pants. I need a clean place before having younglings come into the world, and gods knows where those things you have on have been." Breden had already removed his footwraps some time ago and had discarded them on the way back to the village after killing to owlbear; they had only slowed him down during the fight and he had decided that cold feet was a small price to pay for the mobility he needed. He was already clad in just a loincloth, so Siwa didn't mind him getting close.

"And Brey? You can start by rubbing my feet, please." He did so, starting with her right. Normally, she was the one giving the massages, but her present need was far greater than his ever was for that sort of thing.

[Dark Cloud]

With a simple nod Twig disrobed his cloak and left his mantle at the entrance of the hut, folding the cloak in his arms he offered it to Breden "Use this," Twig unfolded the brown cloth of his cloak "My mantle won't do much for your friends litter," he explained to Breden before his gaze drifted towards Siwa, Twig nodded acknowledging the pregnant goblin as he stood by Breden, both standing in their loincloths.

"I am a druid Siwa," factually Twig said "I can ease your pain if you will allow me to?" tilting his head Twig asked politely.

[Aristocles]

"Save your cloth, I don't need it" Siwa gasped, feeling a contraction. "I'm not quite there yet, so please don't go anywhere yet." Breden continued to rub her feet, working down the sole of her right foot to the heel. "You're welcome to return tomorrow to see my younglings, as long as you all keep good be- ahh! Good behavior."

Breden switched to her other foot, beginning his massage at her toes. Siwa leaned herself up. "Can one of you rub my shoulders, please? And my back? I never knew how much back pain could hurt until I had to carry all these younglings in me."

[Dark Cloud]

Twig put his cloak down, looked at Breden and nodded "I will rub her shoulders and back Breden," he grunted "We need to hurry" quickly Twig approached Siwa and placed his hands upon her shoulders, he looked at her for a moment and fell silent "Your going to feel a tingle," Twig said softly "But the pain won't be as bad" as his hands touched her shoulders he said "Vosh" under his breath and warmth emanated from his hands as he rubbed Siwa's shoulders numbing her pain just a little.

[Aristocles]

"Well, yeah. If you could just- speed it up. Not sure how long before I need you guys to clear out. This really is something for me to do alone, but until I have to do it-" she stopped speaking as Twig began to knead her shoulders as Brede continued to rub her feet. Siwa lay back, her eyes closed as she let out a long sigh of relief as her muscles received massage for the first time since her pregnancy began to seriously burden her body.

Her eyes opened for a moment as she heard him mutter a word of magic. Since she knew he meant well, she didn't get upset at him. "No magic please. I wanna do it all naturally."

[Dark Cloud]

The warmth disappeared as swiftly as it had spread and Twig nodded "I apologize" he muttered embarrassed at his lack of manners and continued to knead the tense muscles of her shoulders as best as he could before moving to her back, where he applied pressure to a knot of tension along her upper spine.

Twig worked silently as he lost himself in his own thoughts as he released tension from Siwa's spine, he thought how odd these goblins were and it was a thing that he would have to become acquainted with very soon.

[Aristocles]

"That's- that's good. Thanks. Feels much better." Siwa stretched out, flexing her hands and feet as she did so. "I'm not leaving for a day or two. Not that these swollen feet can take me anywhere anyway. I think I'll wait a while before my next litter, maybe a year." She gave the three males a naughty look. "Then again, if you're as good as you look right now, I'd gladly sleep with all three of you. Who knows? I might just have another litter sooner than that. You'd all make fine sires."

She turned to Twig. "And you are? Thanks for the massage, but I didn't get your name."

[Dark Cloud]

Admittedly as a goblin who had never experienced 'mating' Twig was a little flustered by Siwa's rather raunchy remark, his cheeks flushed and when she asked his name he awkwardly stumbled over his words.

"M-m-m," he embarrassingly huffed "My name is Twig" the druid squeaked trying to hide his face red with embarrassment but failed and gave her a small smile "I am a Green-Eye and the last of my tribe" he explained hoping that changing the subject would distract from the flush of his cheeks.

[Zillanilla]

@Blackmist16
He had removed his cloak and leather shirt as he was ordered to do. He did his best to hide his nervousness, he was not use to dealing with his brethren other than the chief and shaman. This was no time to be nervous. A new life was about to be born. He then remembered something. Something he had made for Siwa. He had to get to his hut fast. "Master...There is something that Siwa needs, something I have...may I get it?"

[Dark Cloud]

@Zillanilla

Thankful for the distraction that Vox had created, Twig looked up to his apprentice and smirked "Just call me Twig," he told the hunter who was to be his apprentice "Vox if it is important go get it but be quick!" Twig said and with a nod motioned towards the entrance.

His apprentice's request had done little to hide the embarrassment he still felt for being socially inept but he continued rubbing Siwa's joints and relieving her sore muscles.

[Zillanilla]

Vox nodded and sprinted out the room, the years he spent as a hunter paying off. He lived at the edge of the village, inside an old hollowed out bear den that he has cleared out a few years ago. Though it was against the shamans wishes he had turned the den into a homebase with his workshop along the village border. When he had reached his base, Vox wasted no time. It was a simple thing really, the humans called it a blanket. Apparently they wrapped them around babies to keep them warm. He taken the pelt of a black bear he killed at the beginning of fall and fashioned it into something that would keep the baby warm. Vox began to quickly make his way back to Siwa's hut.

[Aristocles]

@Blackmist16@Zillanilla

Breden and Siwa looked at Vox as he returned with a blanket. Siwa's eyes lit up when she saw it.

"Oh, that's a human 'blanpet-cloth', isn't it? That'll be very helpful. Thanks!" She wasn't the most talkative given her circumstances. "Now, there's not much more for you guys to do here, and I'm almost ready to- well, it's gonna get really loud and messy in here very soon. I don't need help with this part, don't worry. I got this." Goblin females had a much easier time giving birth than human women did; it came with being a species who bred spectacularly fast.

A healthy female goblin could give birth every year or two to a litter of four to eight goblin younglings for most of her adult life. This could mean she could easily have thirty or forty surviving children by the time she was too old to keep having more, and more still if none of them died in childhood, which was something nearly every goblin mother had to face at some point, unfortunately. It was very rare that every single child she would ever have would make it to his or her third year.

"Right then. Siwa, if you need us, we'll be at Koglan's forge. I'll check in with you again tomorrow, and the others want to join, can they?"

"Of course. All three of you are welcome back tomorrow."

[Dark Cloud]

@Aristocles@Zillanilla

Grabbing his cloak and mantle Twig said his goodbyes to Siwa, hurriedly he pulled thd flap of the cloth into the fresh air outside. Twig looked at his hand, they ached from rubbing Siwa's joints and he couldn't waste more energy on spell casting that evening.

Deep in thought Twig barely noticed Greslarch until the wolf nuzzled his snout against the druid "Good god," Twig stumbled back with a start "Tell me when you arrive next time!" Twig berated Greslarch shaking a tiny fist at his companion but the wolf just made a snorting noise 'Brother calls I come and this always happens' the wolf communicated empathically albeit derisively. Twig gritted his teeth and grumbled inaudibly about "Attitude" this and "Sarcastic mutt" that paying little mind to how strange it must have seemed to a passerby or his two new friends.

[Aristocles]

@Blackmist16

Breden nearly leaped back when he saw the wolf approach out of what seemed to be nowhere. After taking a moment to regain his composure, he spoke up once more.

"O-okay. Nice wolfie. Now, we've got to head this way to get to Koglan's hut. He's practically the only smith in the village. Maybe you saw his hut on the way in? It's the big one which looks a bit like a spiral. I guess your wolf can come along. You said his name was... Grizlark? Greslarp?"

[Dark Cloud]

@Zillanilla@Aristocles

Both the druid and his wolf were relieved to finally be together again, Greslarch had apparently ambushed a deer around the outskirts of the village and eaten his fill for the day. Breden spoke up finally addressing the wolf as a 'nice wolfie' Greslarch tilted his head looking at Breden curiously.